The ultimate objective of a good golf swing is to strike the ball a longer distance in a correct direction. In order to achieve this objective, a player must develop a slow and smooth back-swing, and an effortless down-swing producing the maximum club head speed at the impact of the ball.
Golfers having problems with their golf swing tend to relate the distance the ball travels to the power and effort applied to the golf club, rather than speed and motion. But in trying to create power, such golfers create tension in their arms which actually slows down their golf swing.
Freedom from tension requires a relaxed swinging motion and a light grip pressure. But when the golfer applies power and effort to the golf club during the golf swing, he exerts too strong a grip pressure on the golf club which creates more tension. In addition the strong grip pressure prevents the golfer from learning the feel of a correct golf swing.
Overcoming these problems is not easy to achieve. In the past, many training devices have been developed to help the golfer improve his swing. In general, these prior devices involved mechanisms more or less shaped like a golf club which relied on centrifugal force to excite a mechanism which made a noise when the golf was swung with the correct speed. The idea was to find out if the golf club head achieved the correct speed when it struck the golf ball.
One of these prior training devices is exemplified by the patent of Blake U.S. Pat. No. 190 2,772,887. This device, like the present invention, was designed to be used in confined space such as an office or a room in a house. It comprised a short length shaft with a golf club handle at one end. When the device was swung at the correct speed, a washer-like piece, mounted on the shaft was released and moved down the shaft to strike a stop making a clicking sound.
Other devices of this type are disclosed in the patents to Strahan U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,356, Zordan U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,504, Hayozaki U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,631, Hurzan U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,115, Katsube U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,886, and a patent to Strumph U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,647. These patents work on the same principle as the patent to Blake but differ only in the mechanism used to make the desired sound when the device is swung at the correct speed.
These devices all required a conscious exertion of muscular strength for the power and effort applied to the training device during a practice swing to achieve the correct golf club speed at the proper point in the golf swing. This arrangement was counter-productive because they created tension and because they tired the arm muscles. This made the golf swing erratic so that the golfer never learned the feel of a correct golf swing.
The present invention is an expression of a new approach in the development of an improved golf swing. It relies on the technique of patterning. This is a procedure used in physiotherapy that is designed to improve nervous control of muscles by means of feed-back from muscular activity imposed by an outside source or induced by other muscles.
In the present invention the exerciser is designed to eliminate tension and to produce maximum speed at impact with the ball by causing the exerciser when swung correctly to transmit to the arm muscles the sensation of a correct golf swing. The exerciser comprises a short length shaft with a golf club handle at one end. A weight is slidably mounted on the shaft. A coil spring is mounted between the end of the shaft and the slidably mounted weight. Its function is to control the speed of the weight down the shaft when the exerciser is swung.
As the golfer swings the exerciser, centrifugal forces cause the slidably mounted weight to move down the shaft compressing the spring. The weight must be heavy enough so that as it moves down the shaft, the torque exerted by the weight increases enough to accelerate the device without exertion by the golfer. This eliminates the tendency of the golfer to exert power and effort during the swing thereby training the golfer to avoid developing tension in his arms. Moreover, the slidably mounted weight is heavy enough so that as it moves down the shaft, the acceleration of the device caused by increased torque without exertion by the golfer can be felt in the arms of the golfer thus creating the sensation of a correct golf swing. The exerciser must be swung so this weight reaches the bottom of the shaft when the golf club reaches its maximum speed at the point in the swing when the golf club would strike the golf ball. The exerciser has means for varying the compression in the spring to accommodate variations in body characteristics.
As the golfer continues practicing with the exerciser, the sensation imparted to the muscles of the arm is learned by the mind which helps improve the control of the arm muscles. Moreover, since the increase in acceleration of a device is caused by the movement of the weight down the shaft, with the increasing torque, the muscles of the arm are not strained by practicing, so that practice with the exerciser is not tiring and tension is eliminated. In addition, the left hand and arm are strengthened by repetitive swings with the exerciser and these muscles are trained to produce maximum speed of the club head at impact with the ball without extra exertion.
As stated above, it is essential that the golfer use a light grip pressure when holding a golf club. However, this exerciser has a shaft length which is shorter than the conventional golf club because it is designed to be used in an office or a room in the house. In such an environment, holding the exerciser with a light grip could be dangerous because it could slip out of the golfer's hands causing injury and damage. To prevent this from happening, persons using the exerciser tend to grasp the handle with extra strength. However, this creates tension in the arms which slows the golf swing and is counter-productive. To prevent the tendency of the golfer to hold the handle with a tight grip, a strap is attached to the hands of the golfer and to the handle of the exerciser. This prevents the device from slipping out of the golfer's hands. Consequently, the golfer has the confidence to practice with the exerciser holding it with a light grip.
What is needed therefore, and comprises an important object of this invention, is to provide an exerciser that transmits the sensation of a correct golf swing to the arms of the golfer thereby training the muscles of the arms to groove the swing path in a limited area and to produce maximum speed of the golf club head at the moment of the impact with the ball.
Another object of this invention is to provide a training device which can be used in a confined area and which eliminates the tendency of the user to grip the device tightly.